As we prepare to celebrate Columbus Day, the following links may be of interest.

K of C-Marist poll shows strong support for Columbus and Columbus Day
Blaming Columbus Misses the Lessons of History
A website about Columbus, presented by the National Christopher Columbus Association
New KofC-Marist Poll: Do Americans Support Columbus Day?
Christopher Columbus and Fake History​
Why Columbus Sailed: Interview with Scholar Carol Delaney

School is open, Congress is back in session and Becket is not missing a beat.

Pro-life pregnancy centers provide free counseling and care to women and children in need. But the cities of San Francisco and Baltimore are trying to force them to provide something else: government-approved messages about abortion. That’s right—the government wants to make pro-life pregnancy centers provide pro-abortion messages.

But Becket is fighting back. This month we’re defending a San Francisco pregnancy center. Next month, we’ll be protecting a Baltimore pregnancy center. In both cases, we are arguing that the government has no right to compel pro-life pregnancy centers to speak a pro-abortion message. Free speech and religious liberty are inextricable—and both rights protect the women who need the pregnancy centers’ vital services.

What’s Happening at Becket:

Churches—not judges—choose their own leaders. Becket won a landmark victory for the Archdiocese of New York and its Catholic schools, affirming Churchs’ constitutional right to choose principals and other leaders who share their faith. The ruling strengthens the unanimous Supreme Court decision Becket secured five years ago, which made clear that a religious institution’s right to choose its own leaders is at the heart of the religious liberty guaranteed by the First Amendment (Watch: The Ministerial Exception Explained).

A synagogue’s big step toward a new home. A Jewish congregation in Boca Raton, Florida, was sued by hostile landowners who wanted to stop the congregation from building a synagogue. Their lawsuit threatened to gut protections for houses of worship across the country. So Becket stepped in and won a major victory for the congregation (Watch: What’s stopping synagogue construction in East Boca?). Now Becket is defending that victory on appeal.

Hurricanes don’t discriminate, so why should FEMA? Many churches suffered severe damage from Hurricane Harvey, but the federal government has a policy of denying disaster relief grants to all houses of worship. Why? Because they’re houses of worship. To end this discriminatory policy, Becket sued FEMA on behalf of three flooded churches, arguing that churches should be treated no worse than other non-profits that receive aid, like community centers, museums, and even zoos. The lawsuit follows the recent Supreme Court victory in Trinity Lutheran v. Comer, which held that the government could not discriminate against churches when awarding public benefits.

Becket in the News:

Becket profiled in WSJ. In case you missed it, Becket’s profile, history, and philosophy were featured in the Wall Street Journal’s “The Weekend Interview.”

A historic win for a synagogue. The nation’s oldest synagogue, Congregation Shearith Israel, won a major battle to keep ownership of the nation’s oldest synagogue building and centuries-old Jewish artifacts. See Becket’s Eric Rassbach quoted in the New York Times about the case.

Disaster relief for houses of worship. The Washington Post profiled our lawsuit on behalf of three small churches in Houston that were damaged in Hurricane Harvey.

What Becket is Reading:

God is not a dirty word. The states agree, according to this Pew Research Center analysis.

“Hate map”. This article from The Washington Times sheds light on the impact the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “hate map” is having on religious non-profits.

Hurricane Irma has hit Florida. The destructive power of the hurricane is unimaginable.

In light of such devastion, it’s easy to feel helpless.

But you’re not helpless. In fact, Knights and their families have already made a incredible difference in the lives of countless men, women and children affected by Hurricane Harvey with their prayers and support. And now it’s time to help the victims of Hurricane Irma.

When we work together, even the smallest contribution can make a big difference. And with 100 percent of your donation going directly to relief efforts, you know your gift will get to those in need.

Today we are grateful. Because of you and your generosity, countless people in the Gulf Coast region have found hope despite the horror of facing one of the strongest hurricanes the region has seen.

We’re stunned by the amazing efforts to help Texas, but a new disaster is now underway.

Hurricane Irma has hit the Caribbean, packing winds at more than 180 mph, making it one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic. Islands have been evacuated, while in Florida, Puerto Rico and elsewhere people have prepared for the worst.

The devastation is already catastrophic, and we once again urgently need your help. No gift is too small — every act of kindness shows the victims that they are not forgotten. We will stand by their side until they recover.

Many people in the Gulf Coast of Texas are reeling from the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey this weekend. Thousands have evacuated their homes, many of which have been damaged or destroyed.

The recovery process is going to be a long and painful one, and your support is urgently needed.

Please DONATE TODAY to help those suffering such devastation. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go directly to relief efforts. This includes providing immediate needs such as food, clean water, shelter and other necessities.

The work of Becket has been consistently featured in the media recently. Three quick highlights I didn’t want you to miss:

Building a Synagogue does not establish religion: Video and victory!

For almost a decade the Chabad of East Boca Raton, Florida has been trying to build a synagogue for their growing congregation. What’s stopping them? A small but vocal and well-funded minority has opposed the construction of the Chabad’s much-needed new synagogue. Watch our new video (4 minutes) to see why we’re defending this vibrant congregation in their important fight for religious freedom.

WSJ Feature: “The Weekend Interview” put Becket on the brunch table

In case you missed it, Becket was featured in the Wall Street Journal’s The Weekend Interview. I was excited to share Becket’s profile and our approach to religious liberty. I talk Becket history, current cases, and how other freedoms—like freedom of speech—are inseparable from religious liberty. Read the piece—and see my caricature.

Winning in Court AND in Film Festivals

Last but not least, we won the Audience Choice Award at the prestigious Anthem Film Festival at FreedomFest for our video And My Prison Bars Bloom: The true story of Armando Valladares, a former Cuban political prisoner and Becket’s 2016 Canterbury Medalist. If you never had the chance to watch the video about Armando before, it is well worth the time.

The Supreme Court’s last term kept us on the edge of our seats—and ended with some great news.

The remarkable 7-2 decision in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer was a huge win for religious liberty. The Supreme Court agreed with Becket’s argument that the government cannot exclude religious groups from public benefit programs just because they are religious. The decision also strikes a blow against old anti-religious state laws known as Blaine Amendments—threats to religious liberty that Becket has fought for years.

Two other developments keep us looking to the next term. Justice Kennedy, rumored to be considering retirement, will be staying for at least another term. The Court also announced that it will hear the Masterpiece Cakeshop case next term.

What’s Happening at Becket:

Defending Free Expression. As 4th of July grills and fireworks heated up across the country, Becket was working to protect a historic 75-year-old memorial cross in Pensacola, Florida.

Defending Free Speech. In Lee v. Tam (Matal v. Tam), the Supreme Court protected the right of free speech—as Becket had urged in our amicus brief—and rejected the government’s argument that it can ban trademarks if they are “disparaging.”

Gaining Ground on Blaine. The war to topple Blaine Amendments is heating up after victories in states like Oklahoma, Florida, and most recently Georgia and Missouri. Following the Trinity Lutheran decision, the Supreme Court directed New Mexico and Colorado to re-examine two of our Blaine Amendment cases in the coming months.

Defending God in the Public Square. The Cincinnati-based Sixth Circuit heard two important cases involving religion in the public square last month: a pagan activist’s assault on a Michigan county’s practice of opening meetings with voluntary prayer, and an atheist activist’s efforts to eliminate the words “In God We Trust” from our nation’s currency. Becket’s win record in similar cases, at the Supreme Court, is unparalleled.

Becket in the News:

Unanimous Support for Church Autonomy. In an 8–0 decision, the Supreme Court recognized that churches, not government bureaucrats, get to decide whether hospital ministries are part of a larger church body. Read Becket Deputy General Counsel Eric Rassbach’s take here.

Students: 1, Blaine: 0. In a related case, the Georgia Supreme Court protected a scholarship program for low-income students that was being threatened by the state’s discriminatory Blaine Amendment.

What Becket is Reading:

Supreme Court Changes the New York Times’ Editorial Mind. Read the New York Times editorial board’s piece on Lee v. Tam (Matal v. Tam).

The Sky is…Not Falling. June 30th brought the third anniversary of the landmark Hobby Lobby win for the Green family at the Supreme Court. Critics of the decision ominously predicted “the sky would fall.” This article shows that’s not the case.

It was especially beautiful on May 4th, because we were there with the Little Sisters of the Poor—the brave nuns who challenged the government’s contraception mandate all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

That day, the White House announced that the long fight would soon be over and that the Little Sisters had won their case. The President issued an executive order promising relief for the Little Sisters, and a leaked draft of a new HHS rule gives us confidence that a final resolution is near. We won’t rest until the job is done. But the end is near, and the Little Sisters are going to be free to continue their beautiful work of caring for the elderly poor.

May 4th was also the day that we honored Leonard Leo at our annual Canterbury Medal Gala for his tireless advocacy for religious liberty.
Speaking of tireless, we enter summer with a full pipeline of important cases. Read on to hear about the exciting challenges ahead.

What’s Happening at Becket:

This week, Becket attorneys Daniel Blomberg and Diana Verm travel to Cincinnati to defend legislative prayer and to defend our national motto “In God We Trust.”

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled 8-0 to protect faith-based hospitals from greedy class-action lawsuits. The Court agreed with Becket’s friend-of-the-court brief, concluding that it is not the government’s job to define the boundaries of a “church.”

Becket continues to defend churches across the country from the threat of almost $1 billion in new taxes. We are standing with Bishop Ed Peecher, the pastor of an African-American church in South Side, Chicago to defend the parsonage allowance—a 60-year-old tax law that ensures fair tax treatment for churches.

In a quiet move just before the election, the last administration passed a nationwide “nondiscrimination” rule that would force doctors to perform gender transition procedures on young children. We stopped the rule in court. In a piece of good news, the new administration has said it will now reconsider the rule.

Becket in the News:

We’re waiting on a decision in our case defending a New York Archdiocese school’s right to choose its own teachers.

Religious liberty advocate Roger Severino is the President’s head of civil-rights enforcement at HHS. Read about him here in the Atlantic.

If you want a reminder of why we fight for religious liberty every day, read this courageous woman’s account of being fired from her government job for following her faith, and her application to the United States Supreme Court.

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions you have about our cases. Our new website is a great resource, visit us there for up to the minute updates on our work: becketlaw.org.

Your immediate action is needed to help support the Christian communities in Iraq and Syria that are facing genocide at the hands of ISIS.

On Tuesday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider H.R. 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017. I urge you to contact your Congressman immediately and ask them to support this critical legislation.

This important bill takes the necessary steps to ensure that U.S. government aid actually gets to the communities that are suffering. Additionally, the legislation empowers law enforcement entities to build a legal case to charge and convict the terrorists committing these atrocious acts.

It has been nearly 15 months since then-Secretary of State John Kerry declared that ISIS is committing a genocide against Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. This legislation is an important next step in ensuring that we support the survival of our fellow Christians.

I urge you to visit our Action Alert Center to email your Member of Congress today. You can also look up your Congressman’s phone number and call their offices in Washington directly (just enter your zip code on the top right corner to look up your Member’s information).

The archdiocese of Erbil, Iraq — home to one of the largest communities of displaced Christians in the Middle East — faces a shortfall of $600,000 a month in food aid. Without immediate support, the Christian population is facing a death sentence.

However, by donating a small gift each month, you can help save their lives.

How does this work?

Simply click here to select your donation amount and choose Make this a monthly donation. Without the hassle of filling out additional forms, the same amount will automatically be withdrawn from your account each month.

And, if you donate before July 1, your donation will be matched by the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council. One hundred percent of all donations will be used to assist Christian refugees.

Click here and make a lasting difference today.

The Knights of Columbus will match donations received by July 1 up to $1 million, and 100 percent of the money raised will be used to assist with food programs for Christian refugees in Iraq. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Knights of Columbus Charities Inc. is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a charitable organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Knights of Columbus has donated more than $12 million for Christian refugee relief since 2014 in support of communities ignored by direct U.N. or U.S. government assistance.